Lubricating device



J. A|='. DooLAN 2,245,765

LUBRIGATING DEVICE June 17, 1.941.

2 Sheets-Sheei'I l Filed Feb. 25, 1940 J. P`. DOOLAN LUBRICATING DEVICE June 17, 1941.

Filed Feb. 23, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet v2 Patented June 1.7, 1941 UTED OFICE.

LUBRICATING DEVICE `lames I. Doolan, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Timken Roller Bearing Company, Canton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Claims.

My invention relates to a railway car axle construction. It has for its principal object the provision of simple and inexpensive means whereby a journal box bearing may be efficiently lubricated. A further object is to provide a lubricating arrangement wherein the amount of oil supplied to the bearing will vary with the requirements of the bearing. An additional object is to provide a lubricating arrangement which will be resistant to wear and shocks and which may be easily inspected and wherein replacements of some of the parts may be made without disassembling of the axle construction. The invention consists principally in an oil reservoir and deiiector plate positioned above the axle and adjacent to the bearing and a flinger paddle secured to the end of the axle and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of some of the parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a railway car axle construction embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2 2 in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a View taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4 4 in Fig. l,

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5 5 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bearing housing,

Fig 7 is an end view of the bearing housing showing the oil reservoir,

Fig. 8 is a View taken on line 8 8 in Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side view oi the bearing housing showing the oil reservoir; and

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal View of one of the bearing tubes.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings, a railway truck car side frame I has a depending journal box 2 which is integral therewith. Projecting into the journal box through an opening in the inner side thereof is the reduced end or journal portion 3 of an axle 4. The drawings show one end portion only of one axle and its associated journal box, it being understood that each end of each axle of the railway car conforms to the construction shown in the drawings.

The inner end 5 of said journal box is double walled having a space 6 between the walls 1 adapted to hold a suitable closure member 8 for sealing the axle 4. The upper portion of the inner end 5 between the walls 'I is open whereby the closure member may be inserted. The closure member seats upon the axle adjacent to a shoulder 9 of said axle.

The outer end of the top portion I 0 of the journal box is provided with an opening II and with a closure cap I2 therefor, said closure cap being secured in position by means of a clamp spring member I3 whose lower end is held by a loop l secured to the lower journal box portion. The top Ii) of the journal box is provided at its outer end with a lug I5 of the kind commonly used for hingedly securing present-day standard closure caps to the journal box; so that hinged caps of the present type may be used if desired. Said lug supports the upper end of the closure cap as shown in the drawings. Obviously, any suitable means may be used for closing the opening.

The lower portion of the journal box is provided with a false or secondary bottom I6 spaced from the real bottom I7 of said journal box to form a chamber I8 therebetween. This false or secondary bottom extends upwardly on each side of the journal a short distance and there merges into the sides of the journal box to form a semicircular chamber. The false or secondary bottom is preferably integral with the sides and inner end of the journal box. The false or secondary bottom extends from the inner wall of the journal box toward the outer, but a space is left between the end of the false bottom and the outer wall. Normally, the oil 2t in the journal box extends to a level even with the upper surface of the false bottom and the chamber between the false and real bottom forms a sump for the oil. The lower portion of the outermost end of the journal box has an opening 2| extending therethrough whose outermost end is threaded. A threaded plug 22 is screwed in the opening to retain the oil in the bottom of the journal box.

The reduced end 3 of the axle projecting into the journal box has preferably an enlarged end portion 23 but if desirable a stop ring or plate may be used. A spacing ring 2li is mounted on the axle adjacent to the enlarged end portion and spacing rings 25 are positioned on the axle abutting against the axle shoulder 9 adjacent to the inner end 5 of the journal box.

Interposed between the journal portion 3 of the axle and the top II) of the journal box is the bearing, indicated generally by S. In the construction illustrated, a trunnion bearing mounting is shown having a bearing housing or yoke 26 with a central recess 2l and downwardly extending end portions 28. Bearing tubes 29 extend longitudinally across the housing and the ends thereof are mounted in annular openings 30 in the downwardly extending end portions 28 of said housing. These tubes are closed at each end.

Mounted on the bearing tubes are anti-friction bearings of the tapered roller type. In the construction illustrated, there are four bearing cones or inner raceway members 3i mounted on each bearing tube. The small end of each cone abuts against the small end of an adjacent cone. Each cone has a raceway portion 32 and a series of conical rollers 33 are mounted thereon. Suitable cages 34 are provided for the conical rollers. Two double cups 35 having bore portions tapering toward the middle to constitute conical raceways 3S are provided for the rollers. These cups bear against the journal portion of the axle.

The top surface of the bearing housing or yoke 26 has an upstanding annular boss or projection 3l adapted to extend into an annular recess 38 in a wedge 33 interposed between the top of the journal box and the bearing housing. Suitable lugs or projections lil extending downwardly from top of the journal box are adapted to retain the wedge properly in position. If desirable, the wedge may be eliminated and the housing projection may extend into an annular recess formed by an annular iiange extending inwardly from the top of said journal box.

Preferably integral with the outer end of the bearing housing or yoke 2S and overhanging the end of the axle is an oil reservoir 4l having a central recess 42 adapted to receive oil. Passageways 43 in the end of the bearing housing lead from the oil reservoir to openings lili in the bearing tubes 2S. These bearing tubes are hollow and have small passageways 45 therethrough for supplying lubricant to the roller bearings. The oil passes through the small passageways 45 in the bearing tubes 29 and as these small passageways i5 are adjacent to the ends oi the bearing cones which abut, the oil passes between the abutting ends of the cones into the bearings. If desirable, an arrangement such as is shown in Patent No. 1,927,534 to Wooler for Roller bearing for rocker arms and the like may be used. In that patent, the small ends of the bearing cones which abut against each other are chamfered to form annular grooves and the ends of each of said cones are slotted to form oil passageways from the annular grooves to the rollers. However, any suitable arrangement may be used.

Secured by bolts 4'6 to the bearing housing above the oil reservoir and overhanging said reservoir is a deflector plate 4? having a bottom flange 58. 'Ihe flange is adapted to collect oil. This oil drains into the reservoir 4l below said iange 4S. The lower edge of the deilector plate extends into recesses 4Q in the bearing tubes that extend through the end of the bearing housing. The lower edge of the deflector plate thereby serves to retain the bearing tubes in proper position.

Secured to the end of the axle by bolts is an oil ilinger or paddle member 5l having inwardly extending arms or blades 52. The paddle or dinger rotates with the axle and the arms or blades thereof collect oil when passing through the oil sump. The oil is carried around with the blade `and is flung against the deector plate flange 49 and from there it drains into the reservoir 42 and then into the rollers 'through the bearing housing passageways.

The hereinbefore described car axle construction has many advantages. Adequate lubrication of the bearings in such axle constructions has generally l.been a difficult problem necessitating relatively complicated and expensive lubricating devices. My lubricating arrangement, in contrast, is simple, inexpensive and efcient and provides proper lubrication. Rotation of the axle controls the amount of lubricant provided and more oil is supplied to the bearings when more lubricant is needed because of higher rotative speeds. Such an arrangement is, therefore, selfadjusting, varying the quantity of some of the oil for the bearing with the requirements of the varied speeds of axle rotation. The above described arrangement is such that it is not apt to become inoperative or inefcient through wear or shock with resulting damage to the bearings. It is noted, that should replacements of some of the parts be necessary as for example, the inger or deilector plate, such replacements may often be made without the need of disassembling the construction. Furthermore, the lubricating arrangement is so arranged that it may be easily and quickly inspected.

Obviously, the construction hereinbefore described admits of considerable modification and I do not wish to be limited to the precise construction shown. Inventions disclosed by but not claimed are covered by my pending application for patent for Journal box construction, Serial No. 320,283, led February 23, 1940, and for patent for Journal box bearing construction, Serial No. 320,284, led February 23, 1940.

What I claim is:

1. A car axle construction comprising an axle, a journal box into which the end of said axle extends, a yoke interposed between said axle and said journal box, said yoke having transversely spaced bearing units mounted therein, an oil reservoir overhanging the end of said axle, a deflector plate having a bottom flange secured to said yoke and overhanging said oil reservoir, a flinger paddle having inwardly extending arms for collecting lubricant from the bottom of said journal box, said paddle secured to the end of said axle, and passageways from said oil reservoir communicating with said bearing units.

2. A car axle construction comprising an axle, a journal box into which the end of said axle extends, a bearing housing and bearing tubes whose ends are mounted in said housing interposed between said axle and said journal box, said bearing tubes Ihaving roller bearings mounted thereon, said bearing housing having an outwardly extending reservoir, passageways from said reservoir communicating with said bearings, a deflector plate having a bottom flange secured to said housing above said reservoir, and an oil flinger secured to the end of said shaft.

3. A car axle `construction comprising an axle, a journal box into which the end of said axle extends, a housing interposed between said axle and the top of said journal box, bearing tubes having the end portions thereof journaled in openings in said housing, Vsaid tubes having tapered roller bearings mounted thereon, said `housing having an outwardly extending reservoir, passageways from said reservoir communicating with openings in said tubes, passageways through said tubes communicating with said rollers, a deiiector plate secured to said housing above said reservoir, and an oil inger secured to the end of said shaft, the outer ends of said flinger having inwardly extending arms.

4. A car Vaxle construction comprising an axle, a journal box into which the end of'said axle extends, a frame having bearing tubes extending longitudinally thereacross, the ends of said tubes being mounted in openings in said frame, said tubes having tapered roller bearings mounted thereon, said frame and said bearings being interposed between the topy of said journal box and said axle, the outer end of said frame having an oil reservoir overbanging the end oi said axle, passageways through said frame from said reservoir communicating With openings in said tubes, openings in said tubes communicating with said rollers, a deector plate having a bottom flange secured to said frame overhanging said oil reservoir, and an oil inger having inwardly extending arms, said inger being secured in its central portion to the end of said axle.

5. A car axle construction comprising an axle, a journal box into which the end of said axle extends, a frame having downwardly extending end portions, bearing tubes mounted in the end portions thereof, said tubes having tapered roller bearings mounted thereon, said frame and bearings being interposed between the top of said journal box and said axle, the outer end of said frame having an oil reservoir overhanging the end of said axle, passageways from said reservoir through said frame communicating With openings in said tubes, openings in said tubes cornmunicating with said rollers, a deflector plate having a bottom flange secured to said frame overhanging said oil reservoir, and an oil iiinger having inwardly extending arms, said flinger being secured in its central portion to the end of said axle.

JAMES P. DOOLAN. 

